Happy Birthday
by beargirl1393
Summary: Gimli gives their daughter a present on her birthday. Written for Gigolas Week 2015- Complete


_This is for day 1 of Gigloas week, the Crossover/Crackfic day. I was watching Brave when I heard about it, thus I decided to do a crossover with Brave. Can be implied mpreg, but since I don't specify where Merida came from, it's not necessary._

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Legolas walked around the large clearing where their tents had been set up, around the table and chairs set out for their mid-day meal. "Where are you?" he called out, his smile evident in his voice as he continued his circuit around the table. "Where are you, little one?" He could clearly see the flash of red hair as his daughter moved further under the table, but he pretended to be unable to see her, continuing his 'search'. Merida's favorite game recently was hide and seek, and Legolas never minded indulging her, especially on such a fair day as this one.

"Where are you, I'm going to come to get you," Legolas called, bending down to look under the table, seeing the flash of red again and watching from the corner of his eye as Merida hid behind a barrel, moving out from under the table only a few seconds before he bent to search for her. "Where is my little birthday girl, hm? Where is she hiding from me?" This was a simple search compared to others he had been on, and he could have caught her any number of times, but Merida loved thinking that she had tricked him almost as much as she loved playing hide and seek.

Legolas turned quickly when he heard light footsteps behind him, swooping down and picking up his daughter, tossing her into the air and tickling her once he'd caught her again, Merida's laughter ringing bright and free through the clearing. He fell back upon the grass, Merida still nestled safely in his arms as he continued to tickle her as she squirmed to get away, laughing all the time. Legolas' laughter mingled with hers, deeper and richer but no less bright. It truly was a good day for their trip.

Heavier footsteps alerted him to his husband's return to camp, and he look up just as Gimli laid his axe on the table, grabbing one of the rolls out of the basket to eat. He had been checking the surrounding forest to ensure that it was safe for Merida to play, while Legolas guarded their camp. Parenthood hadn't dulled either of their reflexes, and Gimli was as proficient an axeman as he had ever been, while Legolas still was devilishly quick with his bow, his arrows almost always hitting their target. Still, just because he understood that his love was hungry, that didn't mean he would excuse poor manners. "No weapons on the table."

"You seem to forget that rule, love, whenever it's your bow and arrows, or your fletching supplies," Gimli teased, his dark eyes warm and bright with mirth. He was eager to get to give Merida her birthday present. He knew that Legolas had already gifted her with a new formal dress as well as a new small toy, handmade by a friend, but he'd gotten something even better, in his opinion. He was just waiting for the right moment to present it, even though he couldn't wait to see the looks on both of their faces.

Thankfully for Gimli, the right time came quickly. Merida wriggled free of Legolas' hold, toddling over to the table and standing on her tiptoes to see the great axe that he had set down. She grasped it carefully with both hands, drawing it close to hold it as properly as she could, considering that it weighed more than she did, staggering back a few steps before falling on her bottom. Still, she looked up at her father in awe. "Can I have an axe, Adad? Please, can I? Can I? Can I?"

Gimli laughed, reaching down to tousle Merida's flaming red hair, the curly mess similar to his own hair. "Not yet, love, you're still a wee bit small to be handling an axe. However…" Here he reached into the leather satchel at his waist, withdrawing a child's bow and arrows. "You're just the right size for your Ada to teach you to use a bow. Happy birthday, my wee darling!" He was well-pleased with the effect, seeing stunned surprise on Legolas' face and awe on Merida's. Merida was still a bit small for even a child's training axe, but she would be fine training with a bow until then.

Gimli and Legolas got her set up in front of the small target he had brought with him for precisely that purpose, setting her up and beginning to teach her. The first two arrows landed in the dirt in front of the target, and Legolas tried to advise Merida as she struggled with the third. "Pull it back to your cheek, yes, like that. And now…release." Merida dutifully carried out her father's commands, but she'd angled the bow so high that the arrow soared past the target and into the tree line.

"I missed," Merida said simply, seeming awed at how far it had gone. Her other two arrows had ended up buried in the ground in front of the target, as it was harder to pull the string back and aim than she had thought. Her father always made it look so easy, pulling the bowstring back and sending off an arrow as quick as a thought, and it would lodge in the center of the target each time. She wanted to learn to do that, to be as good at archery as her Ada was and as good with an axe as her Adad was.

"Go and fetch it then," Legolas said, taking the small bow and watching Merida scurry into the forest after the missing arrow. "A bow, Gimli?" he asked, arching an eyebrow at his husband. "I had thought you would want her using a more traditionally dwarvish weapon." He jumped at a pinch to his bottom, and he swatted Gimli's arm although he couldn't help but laugh. "Incorrigible, beyond all hope you are." But that was what he loved about Gimli, one of the things, at any rate. His husband simply laughed at the attempted scolding, however, wrapping an arm around his waist.

"Her father uses a bow, and so she'll learn to use one. If she still wants to learn to wield an axe when she's old enough, then I'll teach her. Until then, she can use the bow," Gimli said philosophically. He gathered Merida up in a hug when she returned with the arrow, babbling about wisps leading her to it, and settled her back in front of the target. They still had a little time before they needed to leave, after all, and there was no harm in getting a good start on her training early.

Legolas just watched with amusement for a few moments before going to help the two of them with their archery lesson. Only for their daughter would Gimli craft a bow and arrows, so he couldn't begrudge them their enthusiasm, regardless of the fact that they should be having lunch right now. Still, food could wait until he'd given their daughter a proper lesson, who know what rubbish Gimli was teaching her. With that thought in mind, and an amused smile still lingering round the corners of his mouth, Legolas joined his husband and daughter. A very happy birthday, indeed.


End file.
